It's been two whole weeks since I posted!!!!! I am actually slightly in awe of this fact (that me the oversharer has stayed schtum so long) but mostly I've been keeping a low profile to save you all from my none-too-happy drivel as I struggle with this and that and just try to stay afloat. Believe it or not I try to keep this blog as my happy place.
But to update since I just now tried to go to sleep at 6.30pm (my watch was on Paris time - as if going to bed at 7.30pm is somehow better!), here are my notable 14 moments of the last 14 days:
I am currently between flats for the next two weeks. *A tad STRESSFUL for a homebody like me* Tonight I am typing this from a room that's 6ft by 7ft and feels more like a coffin than a room. But I have somewhere to stay (for which I am UTTERLY GRATEFUL and if I ignore the suspicious stain on the linen which prompted me to leave my slippers on before climbing under the sheets, I am UTTERLY delirious to have a duvet to sleep under again. Last night I was without a duvet since it was packed up into storage with the rest of my belongings and subsequently I spent probably the coldest, most miserable night I've had in a loooooooong time, despite a fleecy blanket (Heater was also packed up in storage) and I even went to bed with my slippers, jumper and coat on. It reaffirms my belief that being homeless must be one of the hardest experiences on the planet and one I would not wish on anyone.
I completed three weeks of thrice-weekly Personal Training Sessions and absolutely LOVED the discipline and routine of the early morning starts and the feeling of accomplishment of of getting the training done by 7.30am. Even managed to start feeling fitter - my training highlight was completing 400 skipping jumps non-stop and a two minute plank!!
PT accompanied *understand dragged* me around a gorgeous Thames 6km loop last Saturday. We started off with the intention of keeping to a 6 min kilometre pace but quickly descended into just completing the route. It was a tough 40 mins for PT and I!! PT summised that we need to practise this more.
I attempted a rather disastrous Boutique Run After Dark Club 7km Session Monday evening. The girls are ABSOLUTELY LOVELY but dear god, the pace. Let's just say that the 3hr20min marathon pace set by the lead runner was not ideal for nervous beginners and I was quickly stressed by holding up the sweeper runners. Even the enticement of the delicious post-run popchips may have me running for the hills in future.
The running technique is not going well. Every time I run my calves immediately start killing me. Apparently this is because I am now toe-striking rather than heel striking (apparently due to all the sparkly babies vibram wearing). If I heel-strike (land on my heels) I knacker my knees, but if I toe-strike (land on my toes) my calves kill. I either have to try and land flatter (which still knackers my knees), get fitted with new trainers and hope that solves the striking problem or just build up calve strength to cope with the pain. Good mind to ask for a refund from the Running School. Very disappointing experience this time around. No consistent advice or structured lessons.
To run or not to run this weekend's 10km Mo-Run?!?! That is the question. My current homeless situation, running issues and other complications is making this look unlikely. But I'm still 3 challenges short of 12in12.
I'm three challenges short of completing 12in12. As one friend suggested perhaps it is time to call it a day?
I am almost an official co-renter of a new flat that *fingers crossed* had better be available from 1st December. Otherwise I will start losing my mind. Plus after scouting what feels like 500 bedframes, divans and mattresses I've finally decided what bed combination to buy. But oh holy gracious. Furniture is SOOOOO EXPENSIVE. I had no idea! It's looking like £800 for a bed and £400 for a sofa as a minimum - so much for my £600 all in budget. Who needs curtains and storage units! Thankfully, I have a great friend moving in to share the flat with me and I am genuinely SO excited about this move. This has the potential to be a proper little home and hopefully it'll mean I won't need to move again for at least a year.
After a slightly stressful previous few days - parents! - my lungs went on strike and my breathing went from being able to run 6km to not being able to walk more than 100yrds before needing to stop to catch my breath. It hasn't been anything like that bad in ages and it's truly terrifying being that incapacitated and unable to do anything about it. Apparently killing your parents is not culturally acceptable! ;-) So cue another course of steroids and hoping this does the trick and fast.
Becoming completely breathless occurred the day before a mammoth flat packing and removals day involving climbing up and down 50 stairs a dozen or so times and obvs. carrying heavy boxes and bags. Climbing the stairs once took all my effort and required a two minute rest half way up and then again up at the top. Such a disaster. I felt completely helpless, stupid and alone. Thankfully Shoshana - my beyond incredible moving house buddy - 3rd move this year! - saw me turning blue and suggested I not climb any stairs. So Shoshana and Gemma - one of my lovely now ex-flatmates - transported all my possessions down all those stairs and really went above and beyond when all I could do was try not to cry. Stage one of flat moving and removal operations is now complete. Hopefully in three weeks time all the 'where to live, planning new routes to get places, what furniture to buy and van rental, storage etc' logistics will be completed and my brain will be my own again.
Storage Manager was very excited to hear that he is now the temporary custodian of an Olympic Torch. There were many pictures. It was nice to make someone's day even though I looked and felt like crap.
WOW. Consistently sticking to under 1800 kcals a day is proving very hard work. I've been trying to use MyFitnessPal more but I always seem to hit 2300 kcals a day then just feel rubbish at my incompetence. It wasn't until I was staying with my Mother last week that I realised that I am too generous with letting myself eat anything I want whenever I want. Eating to someone else's schedule and fridge contents was a bit of an eye-opener for me - particularly as my Mother now typically only eats one meal a day and her fridge was empty. For the next couple of weeks I'm going to try and keep going with MyFitnessPal but having no home means lots of meals out. Today for example I unintentionally ate two brunches - one at 11am and one at 3pm - mainly to have somewhere warm to sit for an hour. Staying out all day in November is hard work.
Since I last posted I turned 29. Let's just say my plan for my Birthday did not go quite as I planned. But I cancelled early enough to avoid another solo party experience and instead I celebrated watching lovely fireworks with my soon-to-be flatmate. I have 353 days to work on a better plan for my 30th!
I start my new job tomorrow. How I am hoping this will be captivating and brain-engaging (or if not let there be some cute eye-candy in the vicinity of my new desk ;-) As a precaution I am going to be uber passionate about this gig until *fingers crossed* actual passion kicks in again. Thankfully I am genuinely excited about joining this (by all accounts) dynamic and world-class organisation and being part of a team again.
YAY this blog post got me to a decent bedtime! Sweet dreams xx
p.s. Forgive me if I'm Missing In Action for another week or so. If anything truly exciting pops up I will post. Cross my heart. If more than two weeks pass, assume I won the lottery, eloped and emigrated to a tropical island and have taken up deep-sea diving and san-dune racing. xx